Anne Dwyer (’13) Awarded Winston Health Policy Fellowship

MARCH 15, 2013—This summer, third-year Law School student Anne Dwyer will begin a year-long Winston Health Policy Fellowship in Washington, D.C. She is one of only two, from 37 applicants nationwide, to be awarded the prestigious post-graduate fellowship geared to introduce Fellows to public- and private-sector functions in health policy development.

Fellows spend the first three months visiting key policy-development centers in and around Washington, D.C. Following this orientation process is a nine-month placement that allows Fellows to explore current health policy issues in depth while gaining firsthand experience in policy making. During placement, Fellows have the opportunity to pursue a project of personal interest under the guidance of an Advisory Committee.

In a February 14 blog on the site of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA), which administers the fellowship, Dwyer said, "The Winston Health Policy Fellowship provides an unparalleled opportunity to learn about health policy through an independent and open lens. I feel truly privileged to experience the legacy of David A. Winston at such an exciting and challenging time for national health policy."

Dwyer, a 2013 J.D. and M.P.H. candidate, witnessed the limitations of the current health care system as a summer law clerk at the Minnesota Disability Law Center, where she assisted a quadriplegic client appealing a reduction in personal care attendant hours. As a joint degree student, Dwyer has immersed herself in health policy issues, with an emphasis on health insurance and health care reform, through the Law School's concentration in health law and bioethics and the University's School of Public Health, where she was a graduate research assistant for two years.

Established in 1987, the fellowship honors David A. Winston, who helped shape American health policy at both the state and federal levels, and embodies his commitment to a high-quality health care system through a public-private partnership.